McKenna double keeps hopes alive

Apr 1 2009

STIRLING resurrected their promotion hopes thanks to a second-half David McKenna double – two goals which had the striker sighing with relief.

Last Saturday against Queen’s Park he missed a handful of chances which ultimately cost the Binos victory.

The fans must have been thinking “deja vu” for McKenna when John O’Neill set him up in the first minute of the game only for him to shoot wide.

The groans from the home supporters might have been heard by those Binos who were in Amsterdam for the Holland-Scotland game – but thankfully McKenna put the miss behind him to become the hero of the day.

“I missed about five last week then another one in the first minute,” said the striker afterwards, “but after I scored the first, it gave me confidence.”

Stirling went into the match only three points ahead of the Methil outfit, knowing a win would virtually condemn East Fife to another season in Division Two, while a defeat would see the Fifers leap-frog Albion.

With that in mind, you would think that East Fife would have turned up with sleeves rolled up to their shoulders, ready to get stuck in.

But they were disappointing – something manager Dave Baikie and his backroom staff weren’t slow in telling them at full-time.

Despite McKenna’s first-minute miss, Albion continued to push forward, aided and hindered at the same time by a strong wind at their backs. East Fife looked happy to play out the match and escape with a point – none more so than their keeper Michael Brown who continually wasted time in taking goal-kicks.

Chances were few and far between in the opening 45 minutes but it was Albion who created them. Mark Docherty saw a deflected shot cleared off the line, Andy Graham had a shot pushed away by Brown and Martin Grehan shot over.

When a goal came, it was like the old Peter McCloy thump up the park for Derek Johnstone which netted Rangers so many goals in the late 1970s.

From a free-kick in the Albion half, keeper Scott Christie launched the ball into the East Fife box. It hung in the wind for Grehan to touch on to McKenna and as Brown came out, the ball was headed over him.

Defender Greg McDonald hacked it away, but McKenna was in no doubt about the goal – as was the assistant referee who flagged for the gaol.

The visitors tried to hit back but Albion were comfortable and added a second in 60 minute when Michael Mullen’s corner was headed back across goal by Graham for McKenna to hook the ball home.

East Fife had a chance when a clearance set up Bobby Linn but Christie responded to turn his shot wide.

And McKenna had a late opportunity to net his hat-trick – but like Kenny Miller a couple of hours later, delayed his shot long enough for the defence to recover.

Stirling Albion: Christie, Graham (Feaks 88), Forsyth, Roycroft, Gibb, O’Neill, Mullen (Dunn 83), Murphy, McKenna, Grehan (Boyle 90) and Docherty. Subs not used: Devine and Hogarth (gk).

East Fife: Brown, Nugent, Cameron, Smart (Muir 19), McDonald (Stanic 65), Fotheringham, Linn (Stewart 80), Makel, McManus, Templeman and Young. Subs not used: Kerr and McCulloch (gk).

Referee: Stevie O’Reilly